Road-grading device



April 29, 1930.

I H. R. ANDREW ROAD GRADING DEVICE Filed June 19, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet April 29, 1930. H. R. ANDREW ROAD GRADING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 19, 1928 ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 29, 1930 A. HARRY 3. ANDREW, or ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO ROAD-GRADING DEVICE Application filed June 19, 1928. Serial No. 286,633. g

This invention appertains to novel and useful improvements in road grading devices, and has particular reference to the type of road grader to which a plurality of scraper blades are suitably disposed, to bring about the most effective results,

An object of the invention is-to provide a road scraper that will smooth and grade a roadway at one operation in order to fil'lfthe low portions in the road and remove the high portions, presenting a finished highway after the machine embodying my invention has passed over the road.

Another object of the invention is to provide a road grader having suitable means for raising and lowering the main frame thereby determining the depth of cut of the entire surface of the road and means to lift the entire device off the road for the purposes of transporting the road grader and to quickly lift the entire device toavoid railway crossings, culverts, etc. i I

A further object of the invention is to provide a road grading machine having a plurality of blades or scrapers, whereby all of the bl-ades'may'be adjusted simultaneously or some of them may be adjusted without materially affecting the adjustment of the others.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a road grader having a stabilizing blade to reduce the side-swayandeliminating chattering and also a long surfacing blade being adjustable, permitting the machine to be used on either side of the road, leaving the loose material on .the right or left; a shortadjustable blade or distributing blade be used to waste the loose material quickly, thereby lightening the load on the surfacing blade, thus increasing the speed of the grader, In this application, the term waste is used in referring to the movement of the oose ater al outwardly beyond the edge of the blade.

Another object of the invention is to pro.- vide a road maintainer embodying allof the aforementioned features that is simple of structure, light of weight, and maybe sold and used at a very nominal cost'thereby affording a most efiective andpeflicient device fo the purp ses intended.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood froin a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a road grader constructed in accordance withmy invention, portions being broken away,

Figure :2 is a side elevation of the completed machine, 7

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the grader,

, Figure 4 is a front elevation .of my road grader, and

Figure 5 is a detail of the stabilizing blade.

Employing like characters of reference for h corresponding parts throughout, the reference numeral 10 .designates a rectangular shapedframe, consisting of parallel longitudinal bars 11, 12, 13, and 14 and front and rear channel beams 15 and 16 respectively. h The frame is swung from a tilting or crank axle 17, which is j ournaled in. bearings 18 bolted to the bars 11 and 14 near the rear portion of the frame, which in turn is earned by suitable wheels '19. The description of the frame in-minute detail is considered unimportant: as the same may: be made of any suitable bars .or beams such as I-beams, angle, etc. Furthermore, as .both. the main frame and the crank axle are old in the art, nothing can be claimed as to the precise structure.

r A particular feature of the invention resides in thearrangement of the scraper blades. A pair of blades 20 are mounted at the front portion of the frame 10 forming a V with the-vertex preceding, and set at the proper angle to give a cutting rather than scraping effect, which adds greatly to the speed at which the machine can be operated. Directly behind the blades are two blades 21 set F oppositely to the preceding, that is with the vertex following, and with an opening at the vertex. Theseblades gather up the loose material that 'has been cut by the preceding blades a" dideposit it in the center of the path for further distribution. u I

Behind the blades 21 at approximately the center of the frame 10 an angle bar 22 is fastened to the bars 12 and 13 which supports an adjustable blade 23 by means of a bolt 24. The ends of the blade are bolted to lugs 25 provided on the outside of the bars 12 and 13. As is shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 the blade can be set to waste the material to the right or to the left. The object of this blade is to waste the road material as quickly as possible onto the subsequent surfacing blade 26 in order to lighten the load of the grader. The surfacing blade extends across the total width of the path of the machine. It spreads the collected road material evenly over the total surface covered, or deposits it all to one side at the will of the operator. This blade is also adjustable, making it possible to deposit the loose material either to the right or to the left. This is brought about by a transverse angle bar 27 having a bolt 28 which fits in an elongated slot 29 provided in the top portion of the blade 26. The blade is bolted to an optional lug 30 provided on the channel beam 16 and to a corresponding lug 31 on the bars 11 or 14. The blade can be changed very quickly by one man with ease. It is only necessary to remove the two end bolts, loosen the center bolt 28, and slide the blade into place, replacing and tightening the three bolts.

At the rear portion of'the frame a platform 32 is provided for the operator to stand on. This provides a much safer position for the operator than on many other machines, due to being at the rear of the machine should he fall the machine has no chance to pass over him. Also he is facing the road to be worked, and can determine the correct adjustment for the machine, without changing his position. As stated before the machine is operated from the rear and the operator is in reach of a control wheel 33 and also a smaller control wheel 34. The wheel 33 is mounted at the rear end of a longitudinal shaft 35 which has a worm 36 at its forward end. The shaft is loosely journaled at its rear portion by a U-bolt 37 secured to a cross bar 38 at the top portions of upright angle strips 39. A hand grasp 40 maybe provided on the control wheel 33. The worm 36 is held in mesh with a worm wheel 41 mounted on a shaft 42 by means of a bracket 43 secured to a hitch 44. The lower ends of the hitch are swingably held by hinge members 45 fastened to the bars 11 and 14, while the forward ends are converged having an eye 46 provided for attaching means. A chain 47 is secured to the front channel beam 15 at one end and to a cross bar 48 of the front upright angle strips 49 at the other, being attached to the shaft 42 in termediate its ends.

connected to any suitable pulling power such as a truck, motor car, etc. By reversing the Wheel 33, the grader will be raised from the ground placing the weight on the hitch. It is also evident that by this unique and eflicient structure the machine may be raised quickly to avoid striking undesirable impediments that the machine may encounter in the roadway.

Another important feature of the inven tion resides in the stabilizing blade 50 which is pivoted at its front end between a pair of angle irons 51. The angle irons are bolted to a couple of cross bars 52 and 53 which are fastened between the longitudinal frame beams 12 and 13. A foot lever 54 is pivoted at its forward end to the cross bar 53 and is engaged at its opposite end with a member 55 which is suitably held on the frame of the grader. A pair of links 56 connect the lever with the rear portion of the blade 50. As is seen, by depressing the lever 54 by the foot, the blade will be caused to embed its rear portion into the surface of the roadway, thus minimizing side-sway and eliminating the chattering and vibration characteristic of road working machines. 7

For lifting the rear portion of the machine readily and quickly, the control wheel 34 which is secured'to the rear end of a short shaft 57 is turned. At the forward portion of the shaft a worm 58-meshes with a worm wheel 59 fixed on a transverse axle 60. The shaft 57 is supported by a bracket 61 fastened to the side of one of the upright angle bars 39. A chain 62 is secured to the shaft at one end and to a lever 63 welded or otherwise suitably fastened to the crank axle 17, at its opposite end. Y

The structure of the various blades are considered of no importance, as several difierent structures may be used efliciently. However, in my drawings, 1 have shown cutter or scraper plates 64 bolted to angle irons 65. It is obvious that the plates may be bolted, welded or otherwise suitably fastened to the angle irons. Also, that the plates may either be secured to the gutside of the angle irons which is my preferred manner or fastened to the inside, as is shown in the drawings.

Various changes in the size and shape of the different parts, as well as modifications and alterations maybe made Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having now described this invention and explained the mode of its operation, what I claim for my invention is:

l. Ina device of the character described, a wheeled crank axle, a main frame supported at its rear portion on said axle, a suitable lever attached to said axle, means comprising a worm and a worm wheel the latter being fastened on a transverse shaft, said shaft being connected to said lever by afiexible conmotion, 'a longitudinal shaft having a hand Wheel at its rear portion and a worm at its forward portion, said worm meshing with a worm wheel fastened on a forward transverse shaft, said shaft supported by a suitable hitch, and a plurality of converging and d1- verging scraper blades suitably fastened to said main frame.

2. In a device of the character described, a main frame, a plurality of scraper blades attached to said frame comprising a forward converging pair, a subsequent diverging pair, both pairs rigidly fixed to said frame, a short adjustable distributing blade, a stabilizing blade to eliminate chattering of the machine, at the rear portion of the frame a long distributing blade, means provided whereby said blade may be set to the right or left, a hitching means at the forward portion of the machine providing means for raising and lowering the front portion of the machine and a wheeled crank axle having a lever, sai lever connected to a transverse shaft by means of a flexible connection, said parts providing raising and lowering means for the rear portion on the device. 7

3. In a device of the character mentioned, a rectangular shaped main frame, a platformat the rear portion of said main frame, forward and rear upright frame members, said members providing means for supporting means whereby the machine is raised and lowered, a V-shaped hitch member movably hinged to said main frame, said hitch having suitable attaching means at its forward end, a crank axle supporting said main frame having suitable wheels journaled at either end thereof, a lever fastened to said axle having a flexible connection to suitable raising and lowering means, a forward pair of converging scraper blades rigidly secured to under.- neath portion of said main frame, a pair of diverging blades fixed behind the converging pair at ap roximately right angles, an adjustable sttfioilizing blade set behind the preceding diverging pair, and a long adjustable surfacing blade suitably disposed at the rear of the machine. a

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

. HARRY R. ANDREW. 

